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Homing in feat. article re formation of GERA

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  • 8/14/2019 Homing in feat. article re formation of GERA

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    SUMMER 2008

    Tenants Surveyhave your say

    Decent Homes

    FAQsFocus On

    estateenvironment

    T h e m a g a z i n e f o r H a r r o w C o u n c i l s t e n a n t s a n d l e a s e h o l d e r s

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    Welcome to a bumper editionof Homing In!

    The theme of this issue is the estate

    environment. Over the past year we have

    invested a lot of time and effort in

    listening to your views and making often

    small changes to your estate that have

    made big differences a new play area

    on Grange Farm Estate; new fencing at

    Stonegrove read all about whats been

    achieved and the plans we have for the

    coming year in the centre pages.

    Looking back over the past year we

    have been working hard to deliver good

    services to you and have improved our

    performance in key areas including rent

    collection, getting void properties let

    quickly and getting day-to-day repairs

    done more quickly. We have received

    many letters of praise about Kier and

    where we have received complaints wehave worked hard with Kier to sort out

    the problems by making changes to the

    way we deliver our services.

    A new financial year brings changes

    to our Resident Services team, as it

    evolves into new specialist teams able

    to deal with your queries or problems.

    This will help to improve our customer

    service further and deal with your issues

    in a timely and efficient way.I remind you again of the importance

    of paying your rent on time. Are you

    claiming all the benefits you are entitled

    to? Phone your rent recovery team for

    advice and assistance.

    Id like to say farewell to Councillor

    Camilla Bath, who has stepped down as

    Portfolio Holder for Housing, and

    welcome Councillor Barr y Macleod-

    Cullinane as our new Portfolio Holder for

    Adults and Housing, who along with his

    Cabinet assistants, Councillors Jean

    Lammiman and Yogesh Teli, will be

    making sure you receive good quality

    housing services.

    A year-long review of Resident Services is

    now complete.

    The review looked at how the landlord

    service is organised to provide the best

    possible service to you. It considered the

    many and varied views of residents

    expressed through either customer

    satisfaction surveys, complaints or

    informally at evening meetings etc.

    What has been coming through loud

    and clear is the need to provide improved

    telephone services, access to housing

    staff and a customer friendly and timely

    response to issues raised.

    Taking these views into account the

    service has been rearranged into 4

    specific service areas, providing a

    more focused and specialist approach.

    These are:

    Anti social behaviour team;

    Rent recovery team;

    Tenancy management team; and

    Community and investment team.

    To ensure that we work more efficiently

    and effectively in managing our services

    we are also investing in new computer

    systems.

    For information about who your

    housing officer is, visit our website at

    www.harrow.gov.uk/housingofficer

    Do you want to avoid legal action and

    possibly eviction by getting help?

    Harrow Council is working inpartnership with Harrow CAB to provide

    tenants with access to independent

    money advice. So, if you have debts

    affecting your ability to pay we can

    arrange for an advisor to help in the

    following ways:

    Ensure you have maximised your

    income;

    Check that you are claiming all the

    welfare benefits you are entitled;

    Help you to prepare a financial

    statement; and

    Negotiation of sustainable repaymentsto your creditors.

    If you think this service can help

    you, contact your Housing Officer on

    0208 424 1129/1173/1125 to arrange

    a referral for a dedicated appointment.

    There are some things you can put

    off for another dayPaying your rent

    isnt one of themDont delay pick up

    the phone.

    The Council has successfully evicted a

    tenant in Jordan Close because of anti-

    social behaviour and rent arrears.

    We had received numerous

    complaints from local residents about the

    tenant causing unacceptable levels of

    anti-social behaviour including keeping

    dangerous dogs at the property.

    After obtaining a Possession Order

    from Watford County Court in March

    2007 to evict the tenant, the eviction was

    finally secured in March 2008 after legal

    proceedings and appeals by the tenant.

    We would like to thank the local

    residents, whose lives were made a

    living hell, for all their help and

    assistance in securing the eviction.

    Harrow Council will not tolerate anti-

    social behaviour that blights properties

    and affects a whole area. So please

    remember you will be in breach of your

    tenancy or lease and risk eviction, if you

    keep a dog in your flat or maisonette.

    If you want to report anti-social

    behaviour, please contact the anti-social

    behaviour team on 0208-420-9615.

    Update on changes to

    the Housing Service

    Gwyneth Allen

    Divisional Director Adults

    and Housing Services

    2 HOMING IN

    Tell us what you think call 020 8424 1717

    Rent First!Are you finding it difficult to pay your rent on time?

    Anti-Social tenant evicted

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    HOMING IN 3

    I would like to take this opportunity to

    introduce myself to you as your new

    Portfolio Holder for Adults and Housing

    Services. Over the coming weeks and

    months I will be getting to know more

    about how we provide services to you

    and what the issues are, so that we can

    make improvements. I will be working

    closely with my two Cabinet Assistants

    on this.

    The focus of this edition is the estateenvironment. For the many of you living

    on estates across the borough, you will

    have noticed some of the good work that

    has been done to help make your estate

    a better and safer place to live, such as

    improving parking and garages, play

    areas and fencing. More work is

    programmed over the coming year so if

    your estate has a Tenants and Residents

    Association (TRA) and you think there are

    improvements to be made, contact either

    your TRA or HFTRA with your idea. If you

    are not part of a TRA talk to your

    Housing Officer who will ensure that you

    are consulted about any changes

    proposed. An exciting project that is just

    starting is the regeneration of Mill Farm

    Close estate. Officers are working with

    residents of the estate to select a

    housing association partner. We will

    keep you informed of our progress in

    improving the estate for those residents.

    A big issue for us in Harrow is that we

    have nearly 1,300 families living in

    overcrowded conditions whilst waiting for

    a suitable home to become available,

    whilst we also have people struggling to

    live on their own in large houses. This

    year we have some dedicated funding to

    help people to downsize. See page 10

    for more details. You can contact me c/o

    Room 102 at the Civic Centre, by phone

    on 020-8424-1852 or by email to

    [email protected]

    Cllr Barry Macleod-Cullinane

    Adult Services and

    Housing Portfolio Holder

    Anti-social tenant

    evicted

    Have you tried to contact Access

    Harrow to report a repair and had

    to wait a long time to speak to

    an operator?

    The Council has reviewed the

    numbers of phone calls it gets and at

    what times and has identified that really

    busy periods are early mornings up to

    about 11am and Monday and Tuesdaymornings especially.

    We want you get through to us at

    Access Harrow on your repairs issues

    with as little delay as possible. By

    calling later in the morning or during the

    afternoon, we should be able to answer

    your call more quickly, and get on with

    dealing with your repair. Our telephone

    number for repairs is 0208 424 1475;

    alternatively email Access Harrow [email protected]

    Contacting Access

    Harrow about a RepairHelp us to Help You

    r email [email protected]

    It is upsetting knowing that customers are waiting to be answered and

    we can't get to the calls fast enough to meet the demand

    If calls were spread out over the day it would enable us to provide a more

    efficient service

    As an advisor it is frustrating, you want to provide the best service you

    can to your customers. It is always very busy in the mornings and less

    busy in the afternoons

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    Keep safewith regular

    Gas Safety ChecksAt least 20 people die each year from

    carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of

    faulty gas fires, central heating boilers,

    cookers and other appliances.

    We want to keep you safe.

    If you smell gas, or suspect there is

    a gas escape, you should immediately do

    the following:

    Open all doors and windows.

    Shut off the gas supply at the meter

    control valve (if you know where it is).

    If gas continues to escape call

    National Grid on the Gas Emergency

    Freephone Number 0800 111 999.

    What does the Council need to do?

    Make sure that Council installed

    appliances are maintained and that

    they are checked for safety within

    a 12 month interval;

    Keep a record of the safety checks for

    at least two years;

    Issue tenants with the latest

    certificate.

    What do you need to do?

    Give our partner, Kier Group Harrow,

    access to carry out the gas safety

    checks;

    Keep the appointment but if you cant

    please contact Kier on 0208 861

    9786 to rearrange;

    If you own the appliance, you are

    responsible for its maintenance and forits safety checks by a CORGI

    registered gas engineer;

    For leaseholders Harrow Council has

    no legal obligation to undertake gas

    safety checks to gas appliances for

    leasehold properties so you need to

    make your own arrangements with a

    CORGI registered gas engineer.

    What happens if you dont give access?

    If you do not give access to us to

    complete the check we will take legal

    steps to gain access. If we incur any costs

    as a result of this we will recharge you.

    For more information about gas safety

    checks contact your Housing Officer or

    see our website at www.harrow.gov.uk.

    Following consultation with tenants in

    the last edition of Homing In, new repair

    priorities have been introduced from

    01 April 2008.

    In the last edition of Homing In we

    asked all tenants to tell us what they

    thought about the new repair priorities

    we had proposed. 91% of those who

    responded thought the new priorities

    were a good idea.

    Thank you to everyone who took the

    time to respond and for all the

    additional comments, including:

    Im happy with my repairs.

    Whenever I can call them they

    come as soon as possible and

    they do a good job. I hope it will

    continue the same in the future.

    Timescale is important but the

    quality of the work is vital.

    An urgent repair might be urgent

    to me but not urgent to you.

    How do I know when I phone up

    whether I am reporting an urgent

    repair or a non-urgent repair?

    Thanks to the new priorities,

    since 01 April we have seen a

    marked decrease in the amount of

    time taken to complete a non-urgent

    repair, from 16.05 days on average

    during 2007/08 to 6.73 days on

    average from 15 April to end June

    2008. It will take longer to assessthe impact on the number of

    emergency and urgent repairs

    ordered. We will report back in a

    future edition.

    More detailed information will also

    feature in the revised tenant handbook

    and on the website shortly.

    New repair priorities

    introduced

    4 HOMING IN

    91%

    5%4%

    Feedback on repair priorities

    New priorities

    Priority 1 emergency 24 hours

    Priority 2 3 days

    Priority 3 7 days

    Priority 4 routine 28 days

    A good idea

    A bad idea

    No opinion

    Garages to letGarages are currently available to let across the borough. For more information

    and prices, contact Doreen Gibbons on 020-8424-1363 or email at

    [email protected]

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    Housing CapitalProgramme

    This year the Council is planning to

    undertake almost 16m worth of works

    to Council homes and estates.

    This ambitious programme includes

    proposals to bring all the Councils

    homes up to the decent homes standard

    by 31 March 2009 (rather than by the

    government deadline of 31 March 2010).

    Other works include proposals to

    undertake, in consultation with local

    communities in varying locations, at

    least 800,000 of estate improvements.

    The intended works include new fencing

    and security measures, upgrading

    porches, resurfacing roads, re-roofing

    sheds, demolishing garage areas,

    replacing guttering, new furbishing play

    areas and improving lighting to name but

    a few of the intended projects.

    Other borough-wide projects includeupgrading lifts and warden call system in

    some sheltered blocks: an ongoing

    programme of digital aerial installations:

    drainage works and some community

    centre refurbishments.

    Details of the full capital programme

    will be published on the Councils website.

    HOMING IN 5

    Decent HomesProgramme

    What does thismean for you?

    As the decent homes work proceeds,

    tenants often have many questions.

    Here is a selection of some of the most

    frequently asked questions. These and

    answers to many other questions will

    be published on the Councils web site

    at www.harrow.gov.uk.

    How do I know if my home is

    on the decent homes programme?

    You can contact Access Harrow

    (Telephone: 020 8424 1475)who have details of the programme.

    How do I know what works are

    to be done?

    If your home is on the 2008/09

    programme, you should have received

    a letter asking you to contact a

    company called Ridge to agree an

    appointment for a survey. Once the

    Council has considered the survey

    results, it will update the provisional

    programme held by Access Harrow toshow the final programme for your

    home. You will also receive a letter

    telling you what works are to be done.

    How do I find out when the works

    will start?

    Kier, the Councils contractor doing

    the works, will schedule when they will

    be doing the work. Details of who to

    contact in Kier will be contained in the

    letter you receive from the Council

    telling you what works are to be done.

    I have aids and adaptations fitted in

    my home. Will these be replaced?

    Yes, these will be replaced on a like-

    for-like basis.

    I feel that I need to have some

    aids and adaptations fitted. Can

    these be included in the decent

    homes works?

    If an Occupational Therapist

    recommends aids and adaptations

    these will be incorporated into any

    works being undertaken as part

    of the decent homes programme.

    However, we regret we cannot fast-

    track the Occupational Therapists

    assessment. You will need toapply to Adult Services, through

    the normal procedures for an

    assessment. Unfortunately, there

    is a waiting list for assessments.

    We will delay doing the decent homes

    works until after your needs have

    been assessed. An alternative maybe

    to consider a transfer to a more

    suitable property.

    Ive fitted a separate shower

    cubicle and only need the washhand basin and WC replaced.

    Can this be agreed?

    The test is if the bathroom is decent

    even if replaced by you at your own

    expense. A shower cubicle (if of an

    appropriate standard) is an acceptable

    alternative to a bath. If the shower

    cubicle is decent but the wash hand

    basin and WC are not, these items

    will be replaced.

    Can I supply my own tiles?Yes, subject to the type of tiles

    provided not being a type that will

    cause more work or greater cost than

    the ones the Council would have

    provided e.g. mosaic tiles

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    6 HOMING IN

    Tell us what you think call 020 8424 1717

    ESTATES GET A DEEP CLEAN

    All Council blocks are to get a deep clean

    during the Autumn of this year.

    In the past residents have been

    expected to clean the internal areas of

    their blocks. A recent review highlighted

    our buildings are in urgent need of

    cleansing. Thanks to savings made

    from elsewhere in the housing

    budget caretaker service operatives

    will be able to carry out this much

    needed work.

    A regular cleaning programme has

    also been developed and will continue

    through the year. The programme has

    been given to all Tenant and Resident

    Associations (TRAs) and they will also be

    posted on estate notice boards. For

    more information or to find out when

    your block is due to be cleaned, contact

    either your TRA or Estate Services on

    020-8420-9409 or [email protected].

    IMPROVEMENTS TO GROUNDS

    MAINTENANCE UNDERWAY

    Residents will shortly see improvements

    to our grounds maintenance service

    across the borough.

    The service started slowly this year

    and an improvement plan has now been

    agreed to improve the service, including:

    Published schedules on estate notice

    boards and with TRAs

    Better ways of dealing with non-delivery

    of the service

    Closer monitoring through our estate

    services supervisors to ensure the

    work is done.

    For more information about grounds

    maintenance services, see your

    notice board or contact either your

    TRA or Estate Services on

    020-8420-9409 or email

    [email protected]

    New equipment for younger children has been installed in the Grange Farm

    Close play area.

    Until early February, the play area had become neglected, with only one set

    of dilapidated swings intact. Now the area has been given a new lease of life,

    thanks to money secured by the Council from the Big Lottery Fund.

    The improvements have delighted residents:

    We have waited ten years for this to happen

    You have made us so happy

    My child looks out of the window and wants to play on OUR play area

    This area helps me to amuse myself with basketball, meet other friends

    and make new ones.

    The good news does not end here; the Housing Department has managed to

    secure some further funding, to upgrade the area and resurface pathways

    around the play space and to install some equipment for older children too.

    New play areaswings into action

    Focus on.............

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    As one of the key minor estates

    improvements projects over the

    last financial year, the Council

    in partnership with Kier has

    installed additional lighting,

    replaced garage doors and

    given them a fresh coat of

    paint. The surrounding areas

    have also been improved with

    the installation of:

    New fencing

    A new bin chamber

    Boxing in of water taps

    New signage and

    New bollards.

    In addition, overgrown trees have been pruned and a flowerbed has been rebuilt.

    By making the environment cleaner, tidier and more attractive, weve noticed a

    reduction in graffiti and fly tipping and residents tell us they feel safer walking

    through the area.

    Garage area gets a

    Spruce UpNortholt Road estate looks better than ever nowgarage areas have been improved.

    HOMING IN 7

    r email [email protected]

    Projects included new pathways

    and additional low wattage

    lighting that have made accesssafer and visibility clearer on our

    estates. Combatting anti-social

    behaviour has also been high

    on the agenda, with installation

    of additional lighting, security

    doors and fencing. Bollards

    were installed to prevent

    blocking of roads and we also

    created parking bays for use by

    disabled badge holders.

    For the third year running

    Estate Services Supervisors have successfully completed the Minor Estates

    Improvement programme on time and within budget and were also able to complete

    more projects than originally planned by negotiating cost savings on other schemes.

    Estate improvementscontinueEstates are now safer thanks to improvements made

    by the Council over the last year.

    Before

    After

    WHATS IN

    STORE FOR2008/2009?Prevention of anti-social behaviour and

    environmental and Health and Safety

    improvements remain high on the

    agenda for 2008/09.

    The programme includes

    refurbishment of other play areas on our

    estates, installation of more lighting and

    more security doors and fences. We are

    also hoping to introduce solar panels on

    selected blocks to provide power for

    communal lighting. Another key project

    currently in development is looking at

    using mobile cameras to help combat

    anti-social behaviour in problem areas

    on estates. This will mean that we can

    install cameras at a site and monitor

    problems from another location.Many projects will be subject to

    consultation with residents on the

    estates where works are planned.

    For more information contact

    Estate Services by email to

    [email protected]

    or phone 020-8420-9409.

    estate environment

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    8 HOMING IN

    Residents living on Mill Farm Close

    Estate in Pinner have seen exciting

    proposals from four Housing

    Associations who are currently

    competing to be selected as the

    Councils preferred par tner to

    undertake a major regeneration

    project on the estate.

    Following an options appraisal

    and extensive consultation carried

    out in 2007 with residents of the

    estate, the Councils Cabinet

    agreed proposals to improve and

    regenerate the estate using the

    preferred option of pursuing a stock

    transfer to a housing association.

    Over half of Mill Farm Closes

    households came along to find out

    about the plans at two estate

    events and ask questions directlyto each association. They were able

    to look at proposed designs for the

    estate, the timetable for the

    regeneration and find out about the

    management of the estate once it

    is transferred.

    Information from these events

    will be used to support the final

    decision making process. Once an

    association has been selected,

    Cabinet will be asked to approve

    this selection at the October

    meeting. Further consultation will

    then take place with residents and

    the association before a tenant

    ballot is held in 2009. The transfer

    of the estate to a housing

    association can only take place

    once a majority of tenants vote

    yes in this formal ballot.

    For more information on the

    regeneration process at Mill FarmClose please contact Nick Caprara

    (0208 424 1096) or Alison Pegg

    (0208 424 1933).

    Mill Farm Close poised

    for RegenerationESTATES GET RECYLING!

    New recycling bins have been provided

    to many of Housings estates including

    Whitchurch Ave, Northolt Road and

    Pinner Grove.

    This now means that most of

    Harrow housing residents are now able

    to recycle in one of the bins situated on

    Council estates across the borough.

    For further information about recycling

    services for flats contact the Council on

    0845 225 2600 or email

    [email protected]

    Harrow Council has a duty to protect the

    public funds it manages. Preventing and

    detecting fraud is an important part of

    this work. We regularly take part in data

    matching exercises to identify fraud and

    may use information you provide to us

    for this purpose.

    We may also share this information

    with other bodies responsible for

    auditing or administering public funds

    for this purpose.

    For further information see:

    www.harrow.gov.uk/fraud/nfi

    Council CombatsFraud

    New street lightingfor Harrow

    Harrow Council is planning a five-yearprogramme to renew 19,000

    streetlights, bollards and signs

    across the borough.

    The work, due to start in

    Spring 2010, will also affect our

    Council housing estates. Resident

    consultation will start shortly so look

    out for more information in the next

    edition of Homing In.

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    Grove Estate

    Residents Association(GERA)

    HOMING IN 9

    After meetings with interested tenants

    and leaseholders and our Resident

    Participation Unit, Grove Estate

    Residents Association (GERA) was

    formed at a general meeting on

    23 January 2008. Twelve residents

    were voted in to represent the estate

    as a committee. Lisa Budd was elected

    Chair and Heena Modi was voted in

    as secretary.

    If you want to find out more

    about GERA then please contact your

    Housing Officer.

    Weald Tenants & Residents Association

    (WTRA) is urgently looking for Tenants

    and Leaseholders to join their

    committee.

    We are a very active committee,

    discussing problems occurring in this

    part of Harrow Weald with

    representatives from the Housing

    Department, Police and Youth Service.Meetings are normally held

    approximately every 6 weeks on a

    Wednesday or Thursday evening from

    7pm 9pm and are held, at the

    present time, in the Good News

    Church, Chicheley Road.

    Our next meeting will be on

    Wednesday, 22nd October 2008.

    If you are interested in joining

    us please do come along or call

    our Chairman, Paddy Lyne, on

    0208 428 5388 for further details.

    Weald

    Tenants &

    Residents

    Association

    (WTRA)

    The Harrow Federation of Tenants and

    Residents Associations (HFTRA) has

    been busy over the last few months

    focusing on diversity issues for tenants

    and leaseholders. It is keen to

    establish a multicultural tenant forum

    and has been working hard with the

    Council to find ways of encouraging

    tenants from all communities to have

    a say in how housing services are

    provided.

    However the HFTRA is going through

    a few changes and will hopefully

    emerge stronger and better able to

    serve the tenants and leaseholders

    across the borough. There will be a new

    chairperson, secretary and treasurer for

    the association and they are looking to

    continue to advocate for their

    associations and work as the liaison

    between the Council and their tenants.

    These changes mean that the

    current HFTRA officers may not be the

    ones to contact in the near future.

    For more information about who your

    current HFTRA reps are contact the Fed

    office on 020-8420-9685/6 or speak

    to your housing of ficer.

    View from the Fed

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    10 HOMING IN

    Are you a Council tenant living in a

    property that is too big for what you

    need? Have you ever considered down-

    sizing to something more manageable?

    In Harrow, whilst many people are

    living in homes that are too big for their

    needs, other families are forced to live

    in overcrowded conditions because of

    the lack of large properties to rent.

    This in turn causes a range of

    problems from schoolwork suffering to

    ill health. In an attempt to address this

    problem and encourage tenants who

    are currently underoccupying to move,

    Harrow has secured government

    funding to target improvements to2-bedroom properties including new

    flooring and curtains, new kitchens and

    bathrooms, removal costs and a

    handyman for moving day.

    The Council will never force you to

    move, but if you answered yes to either

    question and would be interested

    in moving to one of these properties,

    please either contact one of our

    housing options officers on

    020-8424-1543 for more information.

    Alternatively you can register online at

    www.locata.org.uk/housingregister.

    Council improves

    2-beds forunderoccupiers

    New homelessnessstrategy agreedThe number of people living in bed and

    breakfast and other temporary

    accommodation could significantly drop

    under new plans unveiled by the Council.

    A new action plan to prevent

    homelessness and tackle its wider

    causes has been drawn up and agreed

    by the Councils Cabinet.

    The Homelessness Strategy will roll

    out from 2008 for the next 5 years and

    sets out the Councils plans to tackle the

    current high demand for housing and to

    develop a wide range of support

    programmes for those at risk of

    homelessness, particularly young and

    vulnerable people. Plans include:

    Opening up more opportunities to access

    suitable homes within Harrow and also

    out of the borough; for example, a

    mobility scheme which assists any

    household on the housing register to

    relocate to an area of their choice; Working with landlords to ensure

    private-rented accommodation is a

    more desirable option, through the

    West London LetStart scheme which

    provides advice, support and financial

    incentives;

    Pursuing a number of other housing

    solutions and suppor t packages in

    partnership with organisations like the

    YMCA, offering, for example,

    accommodation and support to youngsingle homeless people.

    The new plans aim to build on the

    pioneering achievements of the previous

    strategy, such as the Sanctuary Scheme

    which allows survivors of domestic

    violence to remain in their own home, but

    also recognises the increasing

    challenges that we face of high demand

    for affordable housing relative to the

    small Council and housing associationstock, the relatively high cost of housing

    in Harrow and a lack of suitable land for

    development of new affordable homes.

    The strategy is available from

    www.harrow.gov.uk

    Leasehold ServicesIn April we bid farewell to Sally Thompson, our Leasehold Services Manager, who

    in her 2 years with Harrow, achieved a lot both for Harrow and for leaseholders.

    Wed now like to introduce our new Leasehold Services Manager, Simidele

    Adedeji. Simi is keen for Sallys good work to continue and her priorities for the

    coming year include:

    Continuing to work with and develop the LSG including training on leasehold

    legislation and management and conduct of Meetings.

    Improving communication with all Leaseholders including invoicing day-to-day

    repairs and an introduction of a 'Plain English' lease

    Ensuring that service charges are invoiced annually in advance and that

    charges made are accurate and transparent

    Improving the way we consult with leaseholders and invoice for major works

    Piloting post and Pre- inspections on major works on service of Section 20s.

    Working with the LSG to ensure that all leaseholders have the opportunity to

    input into consultations, to improve service provision

    Establishing ward based leaseholder consultation forums regarding major andMinor works and Anti Social Behaviour to encourage Leaseholders to get more

    involved in the management of their various Estates.

    The next open meeting of the Leasehold Support Group is likely to take

    place in November. Leaseholders will receive details shortly.

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    11/12

    If you have ever thought it would be a

    good idea to leave the city and settle in

    the country or by the sea we might be

    able to help!

    Seaside and Country Homes have

    over 3000 one bedroom flats and

    bungalows in a wide range of areas

    across England specifically for older

    people wishing to move from London.

    So if you are:-

    Over 60

    A Council or housing association

    tenant

    Want to move to the seaside or

    country

    Contact one of our Housing Options

    Officers for more information on

    020-8424-1543.

    Remember, if you are moving to a

    smaller property, we pay you 1,500 for

    each bedroom you give up and arrange

    your removals.

    A Place by

    the Sea

    HOMING IN 11

    This autumn, tenants and leaseholders

    will be asked their views about the

    quality of housing services they receive.

    It is important that the Council gets

    feedback from residents to show where

    were doing well and where to target

    improvements. To get this information

    the Council are commissioning a

    research company to carry out a postal

    survey to a random sample of tenants

    and to all leaseholders.

    We want to provide you with the best

    value for money services possible, whilst

    also ensuring that they are tailored to

    meet your needs. So, if you do receive a

    survey through the post, please spare

    a few minutes to complete it and return

    it using the envelope provided.

    Completing Decent Homes works to 1357 properties. We plan to complete the

    programme by April 2009, which is one year ahead of the target set by central

    government.

    Collecting 97.4% (20.6m) of all tenants rent and arrears owed to us, which is

    an improvement on the previous year (96.6% in 2006/7). This year, we plan to

    increase this further to 98.5% with our newly structured rent team.

    Reducing the average time it takes us to relet a Council property from 33 days

    to 23 days. This is a huge improvement and means that we are maximising the

    use of our stock, by providing homes for people in the shortest time possible.

    Were working hard to make improvements in the following areas:

    Housing repairs we want to increase the proportion of urgent repairs we

    complete within government time limits, and reduce the time it takes us to

    complete non-urgent repairs.

    Homelessness were reviewing the way we prevent and manage

    homelessness. One of our aims is to reduce the time homeless families have

    to spend in Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

    For more information about housing performance, contact Marzuki Haji on

    020-8424-7538 or email [email protected]

    How did we performin 2007/8?Weve made a lot of progress over the past year, including:

    Tenant and

    Leaseholder SurveyHave your say

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    12/12

    Albanian

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    For a copy of this magazine (in English) in large print, Braille,

    or on tape, please call:

    Telephone:

    020 8424 1717

    Textphone:

    020 8420 9658Homing In is printed by Annodata Print Services

    It is published by: Housing Services, Harrow Council, PO Box 65, Harrow, HA1 2XG.

    Tel: 020 8424 1717, Fax: 020 8424 1610, www.harrow.gov.uk email [email protected]


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